Clothes-pin.



S. P. HORNSEIH.

CLOTHES PIN.

APPLICATION FILED 11111110, 1911.

1,020,203. Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

WITNESSES INVENTOR I I W Af/omegm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SEVRIN 1?. HORNSETH, OF RENVILLE, MINNESOTA.

CLOTHES-PIN.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, SEVRIN P. Honnsn'rrr,

a subject of the King of Norway, residing at Renville, in the county ofRenville and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clothes- Pins, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention primarily resides in the provision of a clothes pin whichwill automatically lock the jaws thereof together when the same areclosed upon an object. Oftentimes the ordinary clothes pins lose theirgrip upon the articles they support and especially when the latter aredisturbed by wind or accidentally displaced.

WVith the above and other objects in view, this invention consists inthe combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, all ashereinafter more fully described,claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of thepresent invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on line 22of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the spring means used withthe clothes pin illustrating the present invention formed thereon; andFig. 1 is a view of one of the jaws used in the present invention.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figuresof the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like referencecharacters.

In carrying out the present invention, the usual type of spring actuatedclothes pins is used which comprises the jaws 1 having their forwardextremities inclined inwardly, as at 3, to facilitate the applying ofthe clothes pin to the support, while their opposite terminals areshaped in the usual way as at 4:, to permit opening of the jaws. Theinner face of each jaw member 1 is provided with a recess 2 adjacent tothe inclined terminal 3 and a second recess 5, which latter forms a seatfor the coiled spring member 6.

The terminals 7 and 7 of the coiled springs 6 are extended forwardly onopposite sides of the clothes pin proper a short distance and are thenbent at approximately right angles, the portion 7 having formed an eyeor loop 8, and from thence the terminal is extended, as at 9, throughthe groove 12, terminating on the opposite side of the Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed May 10, 1911.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

Serial No. 626,326.

clothes pin below the same, as at 10. The other terminal 7 is bent atapproximately right angles and in an opposite direction to which theterminal 7 is bent, and is extended, as at 9, through the groove 12'.The terminal is extended upwardly on the opposite side of the clothespin, as at 10, and is bent again at 10, the remaining portion of theterminal being bent upon itself to form a projection or catch 11 adaptedto engage in the eye or loop 8. For facilitating the operation of theclothes pin, the portion bent upon itself is so positioned as to.

present an inclined face 13 whereby the two "jaws may be automaticallylooked, as will be obvious.

From the foregoing, it will be noticed that when it is desired to clampany clothes to a support, the terminals 4 may be grasped by the hand andthe terminal l-ii operated by the thumb, whereby the catch 11 isreleased from engagement with the eye 8. The terminal 14 may then bereleased and, upon releasing the terminals 1; to secure the clothes tothe support, the eye or loop 8 will strike the inclined face 13 of thecatch 11 to Cause the latter to engage in said eye automatically.

By constructing the clothes pin in accordance with the presentinvention, the supported articles will be free from accidentaldislodgment. The extremities 10 and 10 being extended on the oppositesides of the body of the clothes pin form guides for the jaws when thelatter are operated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

As an article of manufacture, a clothes pin comprising a pair of jaws,and spring means interposed between said jaws for operating the latter,said spring means having its terminal portions each engaging about arespective jaw, one terminal portion of said spring being provided withan eye, the other terminal portion being provided with a catch adaptedfor engagement in the eye of said first named terminal portion of saidspring.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SEVRIN P. I-IORNSETH.

Witnesses:

S. M. SERKLAND, WILLIAM R. BAADE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

